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"Winter 1788, London. Outside the royal stables, at the bottom of the Mall ... a 26-year-old Scottish prostitute staked out her space and began her night's work": so begins Sian Rees's fascinating history of the 200-odd women convicts--"disorderly girls"--who, at the very end of the 1780s, found themselves condemned to Transportation to Parts Beyond the Seas. The Floating Brothel is a compelling and readable account of that moment in penal history when transportation from England to the colonies (in this case, New South Wales) was a commonplace alternative to the death sentence. Taking her readers into the squalor of Newgate Prison, and the arcane injustices of the Old Bailey, Rees follows the traces of these women's lives--lives marked by obscurity, loneliness and exploitation as well as the shoddy glamour of 18th-century London. In particular, Rees's account of life on board the Lady Julian--the ship that takes this band of convicts and crew across the world--paints a vivid picture of the complex relations between women destined to become colony "wives" (sexual comforters, breeding banks) and the men charged with delivering this special cargo. "As soon as they were at sea", Rees quotes one of her primary sources, John Nicol, "every man on board took a wife from among the convicts, they nothing loath". One of the strengths of Rees's approach is her refusal to evaluate 18th-century sex and sensibility in terms of modern consciousness. Nevertheless, the everyday trials and passions of her protagonists--notably, the experience of pregnancy and labour on board a convict vessel--comes through this remarkable testimony to forgotten lives. --Vicky Lebeau

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 2003Brand New, Unread Copy in Perfect Condition. A+ Customer Service! Summary: Now in paperback, the incredible true story of a shipload of "disorderly girls" and the men who transported them, fell for them, and sold them. This riveting work of rediscovered history tells for the first time the plight of the female convicts aboard the Lady Julian, which set sail from England in 1789 and arrived in Australia's Sydney Cove a year later. The women, most of them petty criminals, were destined for New...

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hyperion, United States, 2003Language: English Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****. Now in paperback, the incredible true story of a shipload of disorderly girls and the men who transported them, fell for them, and sold them. This riveting work of rediscovered history tells for the first time the plight of the female convicts aboard the Lady Julian, which set sail from England in 1789 and arrived in Australia s Sydney Cove a year later. The women, most of them petty criminals, were destined for New South Wales to...

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hyperion, United States, 2003Language: English Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Now in paperback, the incredible true story of a shipload of disorderly girls and the men who transported them, fell for them, and sold them. This riveting work of rediscovered history tells for the first time the plight of the female convicts aboard the Lady Julian, which set sail from England in 1789 and arrived in Australia s Sydney Cove a year later. The women, most of them petty criminals, were destined for New South Wales to...

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 20030786886749 Brand New in Mint condition. Guaranteed delivery in 2-4 days when you order with Expedited Shipping! No Expedited shipping to PO Boxes.

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 2003Used - Poor. Acceptable: Possible ex-library copy with the library's markings. May have moderate notes or highlighting. Will no longer have its dust jacket if applicable and accessories may no longer be included.

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 2003Used - Very Good, Usually ships in 1-2 business days, Book shows a small amount of wear - very good condition. Selection as wide as the Mississippi.

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 2003Used - Good, Usually ships in 1-2 business days, Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 2003Used. This Book is in Good Condition. Clean Copy With Light Amount of Wear. 100% Guaranteed. Summary: Now in paperback, the incredible true story of a shipload of "disorderly girls" and the men who transported them, fell for them, and sold them. This riveting work of rediscovered history tells for the first time the plight of the female convicts aboard the Lady Julian, which set sail from England in 1789 and arrived in Australia's Sydney Cove a year later. The women, most of them petty...

Softcover, ISBN 0786886749Publisher: Hachette Books, 2003Good. US Edition. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!.